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Specialty School

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The Specialty School

The mission of Overlake Specialty School is to provide a caring educational community where students develop healthy relationships and intrinsic values. Overlake Specialty School utilizes a holistic, strength-based approach for positive behavior change that facilitates student reintegration to their home communities.

The Specialty School is a unique program coordinated with school districts, community service providers, families and others to meet the special needs of students in grades one through 12. The program is committed to Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) through application of the principles of Re-ED and the techniques of Life Space Crisis Intervention to our work with students.

The school has seven classrooms designed to support students with specialized needs:

Two elementary school classrooms serving students aged 5-11.

Two middle school classroom serving students aged 11-14.

High school classrooms serving students aged 14-21.

The school is a non-public agency approved through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This credential allows our program to contract directly with public schools to provide services necessary to meet the individual needs of each student. Overlake Specialty School is committed to active partnerships with school districts, serving as an optional placement for districts when they have exhausted their resources for students who are behaviorally and emotionally challenged.

How the Specialty School can help

Each student comes to the Specialty School with different life experiences, dispositions and learning histories. We provide a therapeutic environment where students learn functional, social, academic and behavioral skills by direct instruction and hands-on experience through healthy relationships with adults and peers.

Specialty School goals

To provide students with consistency and a sincere attitude to help establish trust and respect.

To teach students the skills necessary to regulate and monitor their own behavior consistent with social norms.